Integrated circuit device chips are typically fabricated from semiconductor substrates upon whose surfaces are formed resistors, transistors, diodes and other electrical circuit elements. These electrical circuit elements are connected to one another through patterned conductor layers which are separated by insulator layers. These patterned conductor layers are referred to as metal layers or levels.
Conventionally, once the interconnecting metal layers are formed, a last metal layer is defined comprising bond pads or connection pads for access to the lower metal layers and the integrated circuitry of the device, which may comprise a plurality of discrete integrated circuit die or chips to be diced from the wafer. A final passivation layer is then applied over the entire surface and selectively etched to expose the bond pads to allow electrical connection to the integrated circuitry of the completed device via the metal levels.